Gears are typically cut from a work piece or blank during a tooth generating operation called hobbing. A hob cutter is designed to produce a tooth form with a given tooth height, pressure angle, and tooth thickness. All teeth produced with a typical hob cutter have the same tooth height, pressure angle, and tooth thickness. The shape of the features is described by a gear rack. A typical hob is cylindrical in shape and has helical cutting teeth. These teeth have grooves that run the length of the hob. The grooves can assist in cutting the blank and facilitate chip removal. During use, the teeth of the hob can be progressively cut into the work piece by a series of cuts made by the hob.